Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cory Sheffield
Summary: This study investigated the sweat bees of the genus Agapostemon and found that Agapostemon fasciatus and A. melliventris are not conspecific. A more detailed analysis of morphology, distribution, and genetic data revealed that A. fasciatus should be resurrected as a valid North American bee species. The accurate distributions of both species can be modeled based on the diagnostic features provided.
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joel Gardner, Jason Gibbs
Summary: The Lasioglossum (Dialictus) gemmatum species complex is a common and diverse lineage of sweat bees, consisting of 22 described species and several undescribed species. We conducted a revision of this complex and discovered 10 new species, one new synonymy, and a preliminary phylogeny. The complex likely originated from the L. (D.) comulum group, but also independently developed enlarged tegula in at least two other L. (Dialictus) lineages.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Evelien Jongepier, Alice Seguret, Anton Labutin, Barbara Feldmeyer, Claudia Gstoettl, Susanne Foitzik, Juergen Heinze, Erich Bornberg-Bauer
Summary: The evolution of an obligate parasitic lifestyle often leads to reduction of morphological and physiological traits, including loss of genes and functions. Slave-making ants exploit the work force of related ant species for social behaviors like brood care and foraging, with recent divergence allowing studies on gene family evolution. Chemoreceptor genes multiply during eusocial evolution, but slave-making ants have fewer gustatory receptors than hosts, potentially reflecting outsourcing of foraging tasks. Parasites also have fewer odorant receptors, showing convergent loss patterns across different origins of parasitism, particularly in genes related to social behavior. This rare convergent molecular evolution at the gene level demonstrates evolution can be repeatable and reversible as ants lose important social traits in transition to a parasitic lifestyle.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Nyaton Kitnya, Gard W. Otis, Jharna Chakravorty, Deborah R. Smith, Axel Brockmann
Summary: This study investigated two subspecies of giant honey bees in Arunachal Pradesh, India using morphological and molecular analyses. The results showed distinct differences in morphology and genetics between A. dorsata and A. laboriosa, and no evidence of hybridization.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Honghai Zhang, Richard Seager, Jie He, Hansheng Diao, Salvatore Pascale
Summary: The study found that North American precipitation variability is mainly controlled by internal atmospheric dynamics and atmosphere-land coupling, rather than directly influenced by tropical ocean variability. However, tropical ocean variability can excite internal atmospheric modes of variability in midlatitudes, indirectly impacting North American precipitation. In the fully coupled simulation, precipitation variance over southwest North America increases by up to 90%.
Article
Entomology
Patrick A. Vigueira, Cynthia C. Vigueira, Joshua W. Campbell, Samia Ladner, Gabrielle Hayes, Elizabeth Riser
Summary: Many hymenopteran species show sexual dimorphism in simple traits such as color, size, and antennal segment number, reflecting selection for specialized biological roles. This study compared the flight performance of female and male individuals in four species of native bees based on the excess power index (EPI). While females had larger body mass, males had larger EPI. The larger body mass in females is associated with egg-laying abilities and foraging behavior, while male fitness may depend on flight capacity for mate search.
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Jian J. Duan, Roy G. Van Driesche, Jonathan Schmude, Ryan Crandall, Claire Rutlege, Nicole Quinn, Benjamin H. Slager, Juli R. Gould, Joseph S. Elkinton
Summary: Successful management of invasive forest pests, such as the emerald ash borer, through the introduction of parasitoids from Northeast Asia, has shown promising results in reducing pest populations and aiding in the restoration of affected forest ecosystems. Integrating specialized natural enemies, like Spathius galinae, along with local generalist natural enemies, has proven to significantly suppress invasive pest populations to low densities, allowing surviving trees to recover.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Nobuaki Mizumoto, Thomas Bourguignon, Taisuke Kanao
Summary: This study found that the evolution of termitophily in rove beetles is linked to termite nesting strategies. Foraging termites are more likely to host termitophilous rove beetles than one-piece nesters.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Eric J. South, Rachel K. Skinner, R. Edward DeWalt, Boris C. Kondratieff, Kevin P. Johnson, Mark A. Davis, Jonathan J. Lee, Richard S. Durfee
Summary: Through transcriptome data analysis, a robust foundation for the North American Plecoptera species has been established, revealing previously unresolved or contested classification relationships.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philip Lavretsky, Amanda Hoyt, Vergie M. Musni, Doug Howell, Christopher K. Williams
Summary: Despite the common belief that most birds are monogamous, molecular evidence suggests that many species can have multiple sexual partners. This study investigates secondary breeding strategies in American black ducks and finds high levels of relatedness and a high frequency of extra-pair copulation.
Article
Ecology
Claudie Pageau, Jared Sonnleitner, Christopher M. Tonra, Mateen Shaikh, Matthew W. Reudink
Summary: The study found that some migratory passerines from the Nearctic and Western Palearctic regions molt on the overwintering grounds, which is associated with longer photoperiods. Additionally, some species may undergo a second molt during the overwintering period. These findings underscore the importance of the overwintering grounds in the molt process for these types of passerines.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Ge Zhang, Ashley L. St Clair, Adam G. Dolezal, Amy L. Toth, Matthew E. O'Neal
Summary: The study found that honey bees' use of pollen from prairie plants can depend on the season, with colonies collecting more from nonnative plants in June and July, and more from native plants in August and September. This insight could be useful in addressing honey bee nutritional health, especially during times of forage scarcity in late summer.
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Gloria Melotto, Jessica Awad, Elijah J. Talamas, Robert L. Koch, Amelia R. I. Lindsey
Summary: A new parasitoid was described, named Synopeas maximum, which is the first reported parasitoid associated with the soybean gall midge. The researchers identified 279 species of Synopeas based on phylogenetic analyses and found that Synopeas maximum forms a distinct clade from its relatives. The study also provides a taxonomic treatment of Synopeas maximum to aid in its identification and offers baseline data for future ecological research and management of the soybean gall midge.
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Virology
Raegan J. J. Petch, Roderick B. B. Gagne, Elliott Chiu, Clara Mankowski, Jaime Rudd, Melody Roelke-Parker, T. Winston Vickers, Kenneth A. A. Logan, Mathew Alldredge, Deana Clifford, Mark W. W. Cunningham, Dave Onorato, Sue VandeWoude
Summary: Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) primarily affects domestic cats, but it can also be transmitted to wild felids such as pumas and bobcats. This study found evidence of widespread transmission of FeLV from domestic cats to pumas in the United States, with variations in prevalence depending on location. The study also identified multiple spillover events between domestic cats and pumas, as well as transmission among pumas in Florida.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Jason Gibbs, Emily Hanuschuk, Reid Miller, Melanie Dubois, Massimo Martini, Steve Robinson, Phoenix Nakagawa, Cory S. Sheffield, Sophie Cardinal, Thomas M. Onuferko
Summary: This study records 392 species or morphospecies of bees in Manitoba, Canada, which is an increase of 154 species compared to the previous report in 2015. It also includes five new generic records and reports 13 new records that are new for Canada. Additionally, the study proposes name changes, removes certain species from the list, and provides additional notes on taxonomy, nomenclature, and behavior for select species.
CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lindsie M. McCabe, Paige R. Chesshire, David R. Smith, Atticus Wolf, Jason Gibbs, Terry L. Griswold, Karen W. Wright, Neil S. Cobb
BIODIVERSITY DATA JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Shelby Kerrin Kilpatrick, Jason Gibbs, Martin M. Mikulas, Sven-Erik Spichiger, Nancy Ostiguy, David J. Biddinger, Margarita M. Lopez-Uribe
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Logan Rowe, Daniel Gibson, Christie A. Bahlai, Jason Gibbs, Douglas A. Landis, Rufus Isaacs
Article
Ecology
Michael Stemkovski, William D. Pearse, Sean R. Griffin, Gabriella L. Pardee, Jason Gibbs, Terry Griswold, John L. Neff, Ryan Oram, Molly G. Rightmyer, Cory S. Sheffield, Karen Wright, Brian D. Inouye, David W. Inouye, Rebecca E. Irwin
Article
Ecology
Sean R. Griffin, Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar, Jason Gibbs
Summary: The study found that bees primarily respond to disturbance management and the amount of prairie and forest habitat in the landscape, rather than local floral resources. Therefore, targeted habitat design and management are necessary for successful restoration of functionally important animals at the landscape level.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Correction
Entomology
Shelby Kerrin Kilpatrick, Jason Gibbs, Martin M. Mikulas, Sven-Erik Spichiger, Nancy Ostiguy, David J. Biddinger, Margarita M. Lopez-Uribe
JOURNAL OF HYMENOPTERA RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lars A. Brudvig, Nash E. Turley, Savannah L. Bartel, Lukas Bell-Dereske, Sabrie Breland, Ellen I. Damschen, Sarah E. Evans, Jason Gibbs, Philip G. Hahn, Rufus Isaacs, Joe A. Ledvina, John L. Orrock, Quinn M. Sorenson, John D. Stuhler
Summary: Ecological restoration is a global priority, but the legacies of past land-use activities can have long-lasting effects on restoration outcomes. This study found that restoration effects were greater than legacy effects, but restoration did not completely mitigate the legacy effects, especially in soil-related properties.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Kelsey K. Graham, Jason Gibbs, Julianna Wilson, Emily May, Rufus Isaacs
Summary: A study conducted in highbush blueberry fields over several years found a widespread decline in the abundance and diversity of wild bees. This decline was likely caused by extreme spring weather in 2012, resulting in damage to flowering plants that provide resources for bees. However, the population trajectories of wild bees were not correlated with their life history traits.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Thomas J. Wood, Guillaume Ghisbain, Pierre Rasmont, David Kleijn, Ivo Raemakers, Christophe Praz, Michael Killewald, Jason Gibbs, Kyle Bobiwash, Mira Boustani, Baptiste Martinet, Denis Michez
Summary: Bumble bees exhibit specific patterns of pollen collection influenced by phylogenetic relatedness and tongue length. They are subject to dietary restrictions that constrain their foraging choices, even though they are considered generalists.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Joel Gardner, Jason Gibbs
Summary: This study presents a revised key to the 94 species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) in Canada, incorporating new species and taxonomic updates. Two new species are described, and several species are reported or confirmed for the first time in Canada. Additionally, some previously synonymized species have been resurrected.
CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Mario S. Pinilla-Gallego, Logan M. Rowe, Jason Gibbs, Theresa L. Pitts-Singer, Rufus Isaacs
Summary: To improve the retention and performance of Mason bees in orchards, we tested different combinations of shelter types and substrate materials, as well as an attractant spray. The results suggest that using the right combination of shelters and substrates, along with the attractant spray, is an effective strategy to increase the retention of female Mason bees.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Jason Gibbs, Amber Bass, Katherine Morgan
Summary: This study provides a detailed description and comparison analysis of the new species and first documented halictid bees from Saint Lucia, along with the identification methods of related species from neighboring areas and the discovery of new species. It highlights the importance of studying and protecting species diversity in Saint Lucia and the Lesser Antilles.
Article
Entomology
Jason Gibbs, Emily Hanuschuk, Reid Miller, Melanie Dubois, Massimo Martini, Steve Robinson, Phoenix Nakagawa, Cory S. Sheffield, Sophie Cardinal, Thomas M. Onuferko
Summary: This study records 392 species or morphospecies of bees in Manitoba, Canada, which is an increase of 154 species compared to the previous report in 2015. It also includes five new generic records and reports 13 new records that are new for Canada. Additionally, the study proposes name changes, removes certain species from the list, and provides additional notes on taxonomy, nomenclature, and behavior for select species.
CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas M. Onuferko, Matthias Buck, Jason Gibbs, Paul C. Sokoloff
Summary: Inland sand dunes in the Great Plains of North America provide refuge for sand-loving organisms, but are threatened by vegetative stabilisation. A study found that overall taxonomic richness did not change with increased stabilisation, but the abundances of dune specialist wasps decreased. Bees and wasps responded differently to plant cover on the dunes, with higher abundance and richness on dunes dominated by dune scurfpea.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joel Gardner, Jason Gibbs
Summary: The Lasioglossum (Dialictus) gemmatum species complex is a common and diverse lineage of sweat bees, consisting of 22 described species and several undescribed species. We conducted a revision of this complex and discovered 10 new species, one new synonymy, and a preliminary phylogeny. The complex likely originated from the L. (D.) comulum group, but also independently developed enlarged tegula in at least two other L. (Dialictus) lineages.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY
(2023)